Rams vs Cowboys: 8 Things We Learned from Dallas' 34-7 Win

Finally, finally, the Cowboys made it all come together for four full quarters. Dallas beat up on the St. Louis Rams 34-7 in a must win type of game and improved their record to 3-3. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett has been criticized to his draws for his play-calling, lack of smartly called plays and his use of the running game.

I believe, at least for one week, Garrett got it right. He may have also found his running back of the present and future.

Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray ran for a team-record 253 rushing yards on 25 carries. He broke Emmitt Smith’s record of 235 and shattered the team rookie rushing record previously held by Tony Dorsett.

Dallas did a great job defensively against the Rams as they held the Rams to just 265 total yards. Total domination by the Cowboys, but it was supposed to happen that way. The Cowboys outmatched the Rams in most aspects of the game, and they played that way today.

The Rams were without starting quarterback Sam Bradford and it showed. Back-up A.J. Feeley had a paltry 196 passing yards and Dallas held Steven Jackson to 70 yards rushing.

This win should give Dallas great momentum heading into their matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles in Philly.

But this Sunday is no different from the previous. We always learn something when the Cowboys play, and against the Rams, we learned eight things from this ball game. Check them out after the jump.

DeMarco Murray Sure Can Run the Ball

DeMarco Murray had 25 rushes for 253 yards and one touchdown. His longest rush of the game was 91 yards, and after that, Garrett continued to pound the ball.

For the game the Cowboys had 34 rushes compared to just 24 passes. A balanced attack led by the legs of Murray and the play-calling of Jason Garrett. The Rams came into this game with the league’s worst rush defense, and Murray took full advantage of it.

Great play today by the rookie Murray.

Dez Bryant Showed in the Second Half

Dez Bryant was criticized for his lack of play in the second halves of Cowboys games. Coming into the contest against the Rams, Bryant had only two second-half catches the entire season.

Dirty Dez caught a second half touchdown and ended the game with 90 receiving yards.

Cowboys Offensive Line Dominated Rams Defensive Line

Pretty simple line, right? The Cowboys had a total of 294 rushing yards for the game on 34 rushes for a healthy 8.6 yards per carry. That’s the most rushing yards by a Dallas team since November of 1982. How can you not consider than dominant?

I understand that the Rams are awful against the run, but as I said earlier, Dallas did what they were supposed to do against St. Louis.

Romo didn’t have a great game, but he managed it well and threw two touchdowns. I would say the ‘Boys' young offensive line grew up a little today.

Cowboys Safety Abe Elam Can Play Bigtime

Elam laid a shoulder hit on Rams running back Cadillac Williams to jar the ball loose, and he recovered the fumble. Williams was running free after a quick screen pass, but Elam made a big play to stop a potential scoring drive.

The Cowboys entered the season with questions in the defensive secondary, but Elam has aided in quelling those concerns. He made a big play against the Rams, which led to points by the Cowboys. Elam also had seven tackles to go along with a forced fumble.

Tashard Choice Is Done in Dallas

Choice fumbled on 1st-and-10 with the Cowboys up 17-7. Choice coughed the ball up and promptly went down with an injury. I think his pride was hurt more than anything, but after that fumble, Choice’s day was done.

Phillip Tanner replaced Choice and will probably do so for the remainder of the year barring injury. Choice had a chance to show why he should stay in Dallas, but the only thing he showed was how fast he needs out of Dallas.

Jason Garrett Managed the Ballgame

Once DeMarco Murray broke the game wide open with his 91-yard touchdown scamper, Garrett stayed with the running game. Murray ran 24 more times, and Tanner and Choice got involved as well.

He managed Romo well, as Tony only tossed 24 passes, but that was due more to what the defense gave the Cowboys and how well Murray played.

Next week may be a different story as the Cowboys travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles, but for this one game, Garrett did a great job managing the game.

Dallas Still Has Red Zone Issues

Eventually Dallas has to figure out how to punch the ball into the end zone when in the red zone. For the game, they were three-fourths in the red zone, but my man Dan Bailey kicked two field goals.

The Cowboys need touchdowns instead of field goals, and there were also more than a few series where Dallas let chances to score slip through their fingers.

Dallas did a better job overall today as evidenced by the score, but they must do better with scoring touchdowns instead of field goals.

Mike Jenkins Can Still Play Cornerback

Jenkins seems to be more disciplined this season than last. He had an interception against the Rams and has played well enough to warrant a roster spot this year compared to last.

He picked Rams quarterback A.J. Feeley off and registered his first interception for the season. We just need to see that type of play from Jenkins all season.

Dallas Improves to 3-3, off to Philadelpha

The Cowboys improve their record to 3-3 and take their momentum to Philly next week, as they face their division rival, the Eagles. The Cowboys have a great opportunity to run against the Eagles as Philly's rush defense is 24th best in the league.

Get your rest, DeMarco, as you may be needed against next week.

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